A Promise Kept
by Puffie
Summary: Nibelheim AU: Cloud did not really want to return to his home with Zack; but a chance moment when climbing Mount Nibel with Tifa changes everything. One-shot. Fluff. Co-written with Sanctum C.


Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Genre: Romance/Alternate Universe

Characters: Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, Zack Fair

Authors: Puffie and Sanctum_C

Summary: Nibelheim AU: Cloud did not really want to return to his home with Zack; but a chance moment when climbing Mount Nibel with Tifa changes everything.?

* * *

 **A Promise Kept**

"Hey Cloud?"

Zack's voice drew Cloud from his futile attempts at distracting himself from the here and now. Here; Nibelheim. Now; two years since he last set foot in the village. He blinked. "Huh?"

"I asked how does it feel to be back home?"

"Well, I-" Cloud stopped and fought for the right words as Zack grinned. Difficult to say it would be preferable to be anywhere else right now. More difficult to say that he had always wanted to come back, just not yet and certainly not like this. He stared at the gate, past the gate to the well. He needed to say something. "Well; it hasn't changed much." He shifted the helmet to a slightly more comfortable position. Not the right answer? Zack's smile faded as his eyes narrowed and he stared at him for a long moment.

And seemed to lose interest. With a shrug Zack turned and walked towards the gate with the other grunts as Cloud dithered and patted around the back of his helmet. Was all his hair inside the confines of the container? It shouldn't matter; there must be millions of boys with blond hair in the world and who knew how many within the ranks of Shinra. Anyone catching sight of his hair would not make the connection to him would they? Maybe. Too risky to chance. Cloud glanced back towards the van. There was still a chance to sit this out in the van and stay out of sight-

"Welcome to Niblehim!" His heart lurched at the sound of her voice. It was the same as the one asking him for a promise two years before. Cloud glanced forward; a girl with a wide-brimmed hat was smiling at the group. No. Not just a girl; it was TIfa. Both just as he remembered and changed amazingly. Her eyes were still a pretty wine-colour, her lips had the same rosy hue and her hair- Had her hair ever been that long before? So glossy and black, the ends shifting slightly in the breeze. His heart skipped a beat as his gaze dropped thanks to hints in his peripheral vision and lingered for a moment on her chest, her waist, her legs- Stop. He looked away hurriedly. Back to her face. Tifa. This really was Tifa - just two years older and so beautiful- Wait. What had she just said to him? Or was she even talking to him? At some point her gaze had drifted back to Zack who nodded some assent to a question he missed.

Tifa lifted a camera to her face and before he could react a click sealed his fate, capturing a photography of him with the rest of the grunts. Tifa beamed at them as she wound the film on and like the other two grunts, Cloud was rapidly pushed to the side as more and more of the town came out to see the SOLDIER. Not as famous as Sephiroth – everyone had to ask his name – but still treated with reverence. What was it like to be a First Class SOLDIER, to be someone like Zack? Sephiroth was beyond imagining, but Zack felt so much more down to earth. What if Cloud had been the same as him, sauntering back through the gates of Nibelheim? How would his old neighbours have reacted? How would Tifa?

* * *

It never seemed fair to call them grunts - but Tifa was at a loss how else to refer to the helmeted, blue-uniformed helpers who came with Zack. Guards maybe? Her first inclination would be to call them soldiers, but that was just begging for confusion with Zack. Guards then. One of the two Zack ordered to accompany them was acting odd. There was a third left behind in Nibelheim; they should be hard to distinguish given a reluctance for any of them to remove their helmets. One of guards was pretty chatty; the other stayed quiet. She would have thought no more about it had Zack not seemed surprised by the guard's silence. Tifa had tried to talk to him a few times but made little progress. All the guard's replies were monotone, muffled by the helmet and for the most part he seemed eager to stay quiet.

He kept his distance – until the monster attack. Nothing serious; at least it was the wrong season for the dragons to be on the move. Not that the time of year was an entirely good indicator as she had run into the creatures more than once. The wolf-like creature rushing from somewhere higher up the mountain seemed to be aiming at her. Maybe somehow it knew Zack was too tough. There remained a possibility she had beaten up one of its relatives on a previous excursion. No matter; she could take it-

The quiet guard pushed in front of her before she could blink, his rifle aimed at the creature but without anything close to enough time to aim- It was too close. The wolf slammed into the guard, sprawling him onto his back as it fell on top of him. Zack moved in a blur a second later; a gust of wind whipped her hat from her head as something dark bisected the wolf; the creature collapsed and lay still. A flick of the enormous blade- Tifa glanced at the guard and stopped. Cloud Strife lay on the ground, frantically tugging his helmet back into place before he made any move to push the corpse weighing him down away. Somehow he missed the points on his chest where the wolf's claws had drawn blood. "Hey SOLDIER?" Tifa called. "You want to keep going or should we get this guy some help?"

Zack glanced from Cloud up at the mountain peak. "Yeah. Might be for the best. I'll keep watch tonight then. You," he said as he walked over to Cloud. "Need medical treatment." Cloud said nothing.

"I can-" Tifa started and stopped as Zack hauled Cloud to his feet; Cloud's legs gave out a moment later.

"I got him. Can you take us back?" Zack kept hold of Cloud.

Tifa directed him and the other upright guard to the start of the trail down and hung back a little. Nothing too arduous or hazardous at this altitude – certainly nothing that needed her in the lead. Her gaze drifted to Cloud, now piggy-backed by Zack. The SOLDIER seemed to lift him like he was nothing; it was well known they were strong, but that strong? She shook her head. Cloud Strife was here. And he had not made it to SOLDIER. Was he not old enough? Zack seemed little older, so not that. Maybe he had not finished the training? Questions. And why had he just stepped in front of her like that- Oh! The promise. Her heart skipped a beat. He had tried to rescue her.

* * *

Going outside seemed inherently hazardous. Cloud spent most of the next day laying down in the hotel. Zack at least provided an out by telling him he needed rest. Hard to relax though while fully aware Tifa, Zack and the other grunts were going back up Mount Nibel to do the mission. But, it was not as if Zack would let him. And trailing after them- Bad memories of the last time he trailed someone up the mountain. But there was little he could do here.

Visiting Mom again was tempting, but- Had Tifa seen him after the incident yesterday? He had replaced his helmet as quick as he could and she hadn't said anything at least. There was of course the chance she did not remember him? Or was she annoyed that he had failed to keep his promise she did not even want to speak. Cloud curled in on himself and tried to think of something else.

Time passed so slowly, but yet it seemed all too soon when Zack stomped back into the hotel room. "I am beat," he announced as he flopped onto his bed. "And we gotta do it all again tomorrow." Cloud remained silent. Zack lifted his head. "Okay, since I got a lot of questions about a certain blond member of my team, I now have to ask: what's going on with Tifa?" Cloud's heart skipped a beat but he said nothing. He chanced a glance at Zack. "I can wait. And you'll feel better if you tell me."

Cloud sighed. "It's... Well-" The words flowed out of him a moment later, his cheeks burning at points, but Zack said little, content to sit and watch. Cloud related all of it; his ambitions, the promise at the well, his arrival in Midgar, the awkward move to Junon and the moments leading inexorably to his meeting Zack. "What do you think I should do?"

The other man sighed. "Not my place to say. I do think she'll listen to whatever you have to say though. Scratch that, I think she wants to talk to you. But-" He grinned. "Not today. But if you feel up to it, you can come with us tomorrow; you can try then I guess?"

"Maybe," Cloud murmured. Sleep was hard. Cloud just about convinced himself to admit everything to Tifa before he fell asleep, but the cold light of morning seemed to suck any certainty from him. He kept the helmet firmly in place and tried to stay ahead or at least well away from Tifa as they re-climbed Mount Nibel again. Life seemed unfair. Zack was so good with girls; confident, dashing and charming. He got attention wherever he went; Cloud was often overlooked. Zack must have been misreading Tifa's reactions – no way was she eager to talk to him. But at the same time, he did want to say something - anything. Frustratingly the moment never came; all too soon they were back in Nibelheim.

"That's us." Zack eyed Cloud and Cloud ignored him. "Still, I figure we can stretch things another day. What do you say? One more day and then we'll head back to HQ. Take tomorrow off all of you." The grunts muttered a thanks as Zack paid Tifa for her services. He strode back to the hotel and without any idea of what to do, Cloud trailed along behind. "Missing your chance," Zack muttered. Cloud said nothing, would say nothing even when he made it to the room and was able to flop onto his bed. So much for the promise. For the best like this though. Sleep did not come easily and he considered spending the day in bed. Zack however was smiling and holding something out to him when he shook him awake sometime around eleven. A note found pushed under the door asking him to be at the watertower that evening.

* * *

He came; this time she was waiting for him. At least he did not bother with the helmet this time; addressing him directly had seemed to be enough to make him stop hiding. They greeted each other and sat in awkward silence for a long moment.

"Cloud?"

"Yes?"

"Does your mom know you're back?" Tifa blurted.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, I went to see her."

"Oh." Not a surprise; of course he had been to see her. She would welcome him no matter what. The rest of the situation was not hard to piece together. Cloud embarrassed or ashamed that he never made it into SOLDIER. But he didn't need to be - she just had to figure out how to tell him it was okay. "I was wondering how you'd been? I mean, we haven't talked in two years, and I wanted to see you. You-" Are more handsome; his boyish fourteen year old self had matured into a sixteen year old. "-You've grown up so much."

"Hope I don't stop yet." Cloud chuckled. He was relaxing at least. He looked at her. "You've grown too. You're different."

"Different?" Tifa asked arching an eyebrow. So long practicing that in front of the bathroom mirror.

"Like a woman," Cloud said, his face pinkening a moment later as she glanced down at her chest and back at him. "A grown-up woman." He looked mortified

Tifa giggled. "It's fine. I know what you mean." Cloud still looked wary. He coughed.

"Has it really been two years?"

"It has. A long time. And all the while I kept wondering when you would come back. I wanted to write but-" Tifa smirked. "No idea where to address the envelopes. I kinda hoped-" Fingers clutching the hem of her skirt. "-you'd write me? I haven't once moved as you might be able to tell."

Cloud scratched at his head. Bad topic maybe? "Sorry."

"Sorry? It's fine; it was just a thought and-"

"Sorry I never made it into SOLDIER," Cloud interrupted. Pang of guilt dead-centre of her chest. Her fault; her promise. The request to rescue her when she was in a pinch. How strange to have asked than - especially when she could take care of herself now. Why had she ever wanted a protector?. "I didn't think I could face everyone like this. I thought-"

"Cloud," she murmured. He looked sad and embarrassed. "I need to apologize to you too. The promise? You don't have to worry about it." Another clutch at the hem of her skirt. "I'm just glad you're okay and I really am glad to see you again." She smiled, made the expression as bright as she could. He had boasted that he'd make it to SOLDIER, even as everyone seemed convinced it was impossible for him. But those people were gone too; Zev with his promise he would strike gold and be rich. He promised Tifa the biggest and most lavish wedding in history. Chipp was going to be a famous actor and vowed to take her everywhere with him in the lap of luxury. But neither had written to her in as long as Cloud had been gone. Would it help Cloud to know he was doing better than them? No.

"You don't need to say sorry." Cloud scratched his head again. "I was glad you asked me that-"

"Glad?"

Cloud nodded. "Everyone else laughed, but you and Mom; you believed in me. I just wish I could have fulfilled my promise."

"You did," Tifa said quietly.

Cloud frowned. "I didn't; I failed to get into SOLDIER and-"

"I saw you two days ago; you stepped in front of me. You tried to save me!" Deep breath. "Cloud; I never asked you to be a SOLDIER - I asked you to help me in a pinch." Her pulse raced. "And you did! You were so brave. So; thank you."

Cloud's cheeks reddened again. "But I slowed down the mission and-" He shook his head. "You don't need me; you're so strong already. You'd beat me in like two seconds."

"Hey, I'd go easy on you," Tifa blurted in response. "But, seriously; thank you."

"Glad I kept my word." For a moment the world was at peace and everything was right. Had Cloud ever laughed that easily before? Cloud was always cute, but things were- Different. What was this? Her pulse racing, her heart fluttering. He was still grinning as he stared at her, and it took her a long moment to realize she was staring at him. Tifa glanced up towards the night sky. Chest still pounding, her palms slick with sweat. She breathed on them hastily.

"Cold?"

Tifa shook her head. "It's fine."

"It is late; just tell me if you need to go home-"

"I want to stay here." With you, Tifa silently appended. Tempting to say that out loud, but- "Don't worry. Ever since I learned how to fight, Dad doesn't bother with curfews."

"Still cold." Cloud unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and held it out to her. She hesitated, Cloud gestured. "I'll be fine; the uniform keeps me warm enough."

"Thank you." Tifa wrapped the garment around his neck. It smelled like him; like the forests.

"You can..." He scratched at his head. "You can keep it if you want."

Tifa giggled. How could she say no? What a reminder of him. "Hey, Cloud? SOLDIER-" Cloud's expression froze. No. He had to listen. Tifa put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't give up!" She practically shouted it, leaving Cloud looking around in a panic. "If it's your dream, then don't stop chasing it, no matter what! I believe in you!"

"I- I failed the tests-"

"What tests? I can help with training if you want. You can meet Zangan and-"

"Not that." Cloud's fists clenches. "I- I-" He hung his head. "I can't tell you. Sorry."

"I... I'm sorry." How much about SOLDIER did she not know? If it were that simple then Cloud would be a member already - it must be difficult. Maybe she could sign up? Good to know she could make it if she wanted; she was already stronger than most people she knew. But it would mean leaving Nibelheim behind, going to Midgar. Though; what if she was with Cloud? And they got into SOLDIER together? Two SOLDIERs from the same home-town; the guardians of Nibelheim. Everyone would talk about them then - not just here, but back in Midgar too. Childhood friends overcoming the odds, blossoming into adulthood together. Two handsome, beautiful people; the strongest couple in the world. Such a romantic-

"Tifa?"

She blinked, the cold coming back fast. She had been day-dreaming. "Yes?" Voice a little too high there.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," Tifa said emphatically.

"Are you planning to stay? Or do you want to leave? Nibelheim I mean." Cloud seemed to be holding his breath.

"Hadn't... really thought about it?" Outside of a brief day-dream. All her friends had left or would soon leave to follow their dreams of life in the biggest of cities. What about her? "I don't know yet. I'm happy here at the moment. And if I go who'll guide the tourists and other people who want to climb the mountain?" She was silent for a moment as Cloud seemed to digest her answer. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering when we'd next see each other?"

"Not sure." Tifa grinned. "But the solution is obvious; we'll write to each other! How about we promise? We have to write to each other at least once a month - and reply just as quickly if we get a letter in the mean-time. What do you say?"

"I think I can promise that," Cloud said. His hand moved a little closer to hers, his fingers just about brushing her own. He was trying to hold her hand; his eyes widening as she looked at him. He withdrew her hand, but she moved closer. Was she doing this. Calm down.

"It's okay," she tried.

"Okay?"

"You- I mean, we-" Deep breath, eyes staring at her lap. "We can hold hands if you like." She put her hand down with her fingers spread beside her. Nothing. She started swinging her legs. Left. Right. Both. Left. Right. Both. Cloud's hand against her own, his fingers sliding over the top of hers. Another deep breath and a look into his blue eyes. He was smiling. Just a shy smile, but a smile. It was okay. She grinned as she entwined their fingers and now Cloud grinned back.

* * *

Another day would have been better, but at least now a whole weight was gone from him, a fear and a guilt weighing him down these last two years. But he needed to go back; Zack needed to go back. Tifa was waiting outside the hotel as they made their way to the van; she walked alongside Cloud, reiterating the new promise of staying in touch and- His heart might explode if she kept this up - holding his hand as they walked. He put his stuff down and turned to finally say goodbye; she still had hold of his hand even here.

"I'll write to you as soon as I get back," Cloud promised.

"You better," Tifa replied with a grin.

"Come on, loverboy, we have to get going!" Zack called from the depths of the van. Cloud flushed, but then Tifa was close, so very, very close. Warm and- the softness against his lips was making his face feel like it was on fire. His eyes closed and he stood frozen in the moment, as Tifa Lockhart kissed him. The most beautiful girl in the village was kissing him. She stepped back far too soon, her face crimson but she was grinning. Cloud's fingers touched his lips for a moment as behind him Zack and the other grunts cheered. "Come back soon," Tifa said as she slowly walked backwards.

"I will," Cloud promised.

* * *

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Thanks again to Sanctum_C for writing the fic to be comprehensible! Happy Valentine's Day peoples.


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